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Learn how to cook dried chickpeas on the stovetop so they are perfect for hummus, stews, or salads. Just soak them first, then boil until they’re nice and tender.
I always have cooked chickpeas in my fridge or freezer, ready to use whenever I need them. Although store-bought canned chickpeas can be convenient, I assure you—learning how to cook dried chickpeas at home is worth it. Better flavor, better texture, and cheaper, too! Plus, you can batch-cook and freeze them for months.
Soaking the chickpeas overnight softens them without stress, and once cooked, you can use them for tons of recipes, providing you with lots of fiber and plant-based protein. These freshly prepared legumes take dishes like creamy hummus, chickpea curry, chickpea soup, and chickpea salad to a whole new level.
So, let’s jump into how to cook chickpeas at home using my easy method.
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Ingredients
- Dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans): Get the dried beans in bulk at the grocery store or online. Keep in mind that chickpeas double their size when soaked and cooked. 1 cup of dried chickpeas yields about 2-3 cups of cooked chickpeas. Similarly, 1 pound (about 2 cups) of dried chickpeas will yield roughly 6 cups of cooked chickpeas.
- Water: You will need water to soak the chickpeas and then more fresh water to cook them.
- Salt: If using the cooking liquid (aquafaba) to make vegan whipped cream, omit the salt.
- Baking soda: Optional to help cook the chickpeas a little faster.
How to cook dried chickpeas on the stovetop
Soak and rinse the chickpeas: Transfer the dried chickpeas to a large bowl or pot and pour enough water to cover them by a few inches. They will double in size as they soak, so make sure to place them in a large enough container and add a few inches of water.
Soak the chickpeas for at least 6 hours (or overnight). Then rinse them well under running water and remove any bad ones or debris. Discard the soaking water (or water your plants with it).
Cook the chickpeas: Transfer the soaked and rinsed chickpeas to a large pot. Cover with fresh water, enough to cover them by 2-3 inches. If wanted, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda—this will speed up the cooking process by 30-45 minutes.
Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. As the water heats up, foam may form on the surface. Use a spoon or ladle to skim off this foam and discard it.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the chickpeas for 1.5-2 hours or until they are tender. You can test for doneness by biting into a chickpea or squishing it with your fingers; it should be soft and creamy throughout. Once tender, drain the chickpeas, and they’ll be ready to use in your favorite recipes (salads, soups, stews, and more).
Note that the cooking water is safe to use; save it for later and use it to make aquafaba (a great vegan egg substitute) or to store the cooked chickpeas, as it helps maintain their texture.
How to store cooked chickpeas
Store the cooked chickpeas in jars or airtight containers for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. To maintain their texture, freeze them with some of their cooking liquid, leaving headspace in jars for expansion. For longer-term storage, check out my post on how to can chickpeas.
FAQs
Yes! You can use a quick soak method if you’re short on time. Place the chickpeas in a pot, cover them with water (a couple of inches above), bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them soak for 1 hour before draining and cooking as usual.
Soak the chickpeas overnight, rinse them, and then add them to the Instant Pot with enough water to submerge them. Add salt if wanted. For slightly chewy chickpeas, ideal for salads, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release. For soft, tender chickpeas, perfect for hummus, cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
Yes, adding baking soda during boiling helps make the chickpeas softer. Use about 1/4 teaspoon per 2 cups of dried chickpeas in the boiling water. The alkaline environment breaks down the skin and speeds up softening (perfect for when you want to reduce the cooking time). Softer chickpeas are perfect for creamy dishes like hummus.
Delicious recipes that use chickpeas
If you try this method for cooking dried chickpeas, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas (Soak & Boil Method)
Equipment
- Bowl for soaking
- Reusable freezer-safe bags or other containers
Ingredients
- 5 cups dried chickpeas or 2.2 pounds
- water for soaking and cooking
- 3 tsp salt skip salt if using liquid for aquafaba
- 1 tsp baking soda optional
Instructions
- Soak the dried chickpeas in a large bowl with plenty of water for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Discard the water.
- Transfer the soaked chickpeas to a large pot and cover with fresh water. Optionally, add the baking soda (it helps cook them a little faster). Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Reduce the heat to low, add salt, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until chickpeas are tender.Test for doneness by biting into a chickpea; it should be soft and creamy throughout.
- Drain the cooked chickpeas, and they'll be ready to use in your favorite recipes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for the tips! ALSO I just want that see through pan
Thanks, Sam! I don’t really recommend the glass pan – I only use it so I can demonstrate what’s happening while I am preparing something. 🙂
Can I put thawed chickpeas in salad (with greens) or do they have to be reheated once they have been frozen and thawed?
Hi Elizabeth,
Yes, you can add them thawed.
I love your passion about food and do appreciate all your efforts in promoting all the information and experience you’ve got. You are the alpha foodie indeed.
Aww thank you so much, Negah 🙂
Fantastic blog. Very helpful. Gives info for all styles of cooking and storing the chickpeas. Nothing but the best from Alpha Foodie!
Thank you so much for your comment, Ben!
Can I freeze the soaked chickpeas (without cooking) to make falafels later on?
Hi Melanie,
Yes, you can. You can also make the falafel mixture and freeze it to make it more convenient to prepare from the freezer. You can have a look at one of my falafel recipes for more tips:
https://www.alphafoodie.com/homemade-easy-falafel-wrap/ OR
https://www.alphafoodie.com/easy-vegan-healthy-baked-falafel/
Really informative n very painstakingly detailed
Thank you for your comment, Manisha.
You say bring to a boil and cook for 30-40 min – do you mean bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 min or is the pot boiling on high for the full 30-40 min? Other recipes I’ve seen ask to reduce heat. Just wanted clarification!
Hi Alessandra,
Sorry for the confusion, I meant bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40min (heat reduced). 🙂
Hey Samira! Great post!
I’ve been doing my own extensive research on best results from chick pea soaking haha. I love your post here and so glad you mentioned the Sodium Bicarb…cause for me, that has resulted in my best beans yet! I feel like my cook times have to be longer than 30 min though…but maybe that could be my elevation?
Hope you are well, and thanks for all the amazing info!
– PlantBasedFoodGuru (aka Ben :))
Thank you so much for your comment, Ben!
Indeed, at higher altitudes, you might have to cook them longer.
Hi, would adding garlic to cooking liquid give a good garlic finish tast?
I’ve never tried this but I imagine that it would certainly help. I suggest lightly sauteeing the garlic for a minute or so in oil then adding the chickpeas and water and seeing how that works out for you. If you use chopped garlic, when you sieve the chickpeas, the little bits of garlic will remain in with them and continue to flavor the chickpeas.
Do you need to put the soaking chickpeas in the fridge or can you leave them on the counter?
Hi Kathleen, I do soak my chickpeas on the counter most of the time but in days if I soak and I don’t want to use that same day I would change the water and place them in the fridge so they don’t go off. I find placing them outside the fridge is only okay for the first day of soaking. Next day, they should be either used for any reason or placed in the fridge if not used that day.
Cook 50 mins for dry (probably old, in bag chickpeas) WAY too long. They were mush. I would cut cooking time in half to little less next time. They were not soaked. Followed to letter. I appreciate your direction either way! Maybe not on high in my instant pot? They all going to end up as garlic hummus anyway so not a disaster
Hi there,
When using an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) you need to reduce the time. I’ve suggested cooking them on High for 10-15 minutes with an instant pot. In a saucepan on the stove-top, you need to cook them for about 30-40 minutes.
Can I freeze cooked chickpeas along with the cooking water?
Hi Sara,
Yes, you can.